Colonial and Postcolonial Literature

Second Edition

Elleke Boehmer

As a critical overview of colonial writing and of postcolonialism, this title remains unparalleled for its historical breadth and the clarity of its theoretical discussion. Ten years after first publication it continues to be prescribed on undergraduate and MA courses around the world and has helped to establish and define the postcolonial field. The expanded and revised edition will confirm this standing.

An accessible historical narrative (backed up by a useful Chronology, 1719-2003) situates key colonial and postcolonial developments, texts and cultural figures, from Joseph Conrad and R. L. Stevenson, through to Salman Rushdie and Manju Kapur.

In a notoriously complex field, important theoretical terms and issues are illuminated by way of close readings of key texts, but without ever losing subtlety in favour of accessibility.

An expanded final chapter and conclusion explore the challenges facing postcolonial studies in the twenty-first century.

Colonial and Postcolonial Literature

Second Edition

Elleke Boehmer

Description

Colonial and Postcolonial Literature is the leading critical overview of and historical introduction to colonial and postcolonial literary studies. Highly praised from the time of its first publication for its lucidity, breadth, and insight, the book has itself played a crucial part in founding and shaping this rapidly expanding field. The author, an internationally renowned postcolonial critic, provides a broad contextualizing narrative about the evolution of colonial and postcolonial writing in English. Illuminating close readings of texts by a wide variety of writers--from Kipling and Conrad through to Kincaid, from Ngugi to Noonuccal and Naipaul--explicate key theoretical terms such as "subaltern," "colonial resistance," "writing back," and "hybridity." This
revised edition includes new critiques of postcolonial women's writing, an expanded and fully annotated bibliography, and a new chapter and conclusion on postcolonialism exploring keynote debates in the field relating to sexuality, transnationalism, and local resistance.

Colonial and Postcolonial Literature

Second Edition

Elleke Boehmer

Table of Contents

Introduction1. Imperialism and Textuality2. Colonialist Concerns3. The Stirrings of New Nationalism4. Metropolitans and Mimics5. Independence6. Postcolonialism7. Transitional futures: the postcolonial book and the global worldChronology of key events and publicationsNotesFurther readingIndex

Colonial and Postcolonial Literature

Second Edition

Elleke Boehmer

Author Information

Elleke Boehmer is Hildred Carlile Professor in English at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Colonial and Postcolonial Literature

Second Edition

Elleke Boehmer

Reviews and Awards

Praise for the previous edition: "Boehmer's book is without any doubt a precious contribution. It provides a refreshingly readable, current, and knowledgeable account of the issues as the author displays an excellent grasp of the complexities of the subject."--Research in African Literatures

"A sustained, intelligent and refreshingly sceptical discussion about what constitutes the focus of postcolonial literary studies.... This is an excellent introduction."--Times Higher Education Supplement

"Boehmer presents a comprehensive, lucid, and nuanced account of both the literature of the British empire and the literature in opposition to empire....Colonial and Postcolonial Literature is as accessible to the newcomer to the field as it is useful to the specialist."--World Literature Today